The subject invention pertains mainly to the process of heating cooking utensils on ceramic or flat burner units, although the subject invention may be applicable to other types of stove burners. In this respect, the subject invention comprises an improvement in the efficiency of cooking on stoves.
In conventional stove structures, particularly ceramic covered burners, the burner units are usually flush with the upper surface of the stove, or in other burner types may be raised slightly above the upper surface of the stove. In the usage of burners that are relatively level or flush with the upper surfaces of the stove, there are several heating efficiently concerns involved, and other problems, as more fully described below.
First, a cooking utensil disposed on top of a stove burner is readily susceptible to being moved or pulled off the burner and either upset or pulled off the stove. This poses a particularly troublesome problem for young children that are playing in and around a stove, as a heated cooking utensil may be inadvertently moved off the stove top and cause accidental burns. A second problem encountered is that a substantial amount of heat is wasted in the process of heating a cooking utensil on a stove top burner. In particular, when a pan or other type of cooking utensil is heated on top of such a burner, only the very bottom of the pan is heated, and in the process, the heating takes a greater period of time since only the bottom is heated and significant amount of heat rises up and around the sides of the cooking utensil and into the air. This wasted heat represents a loss of energy that could be otherwise used to help heat the cooking utensil in the process and thus save energy. One of the causes of this heat loss in this regard is that the bottom of the cooking pan, or other such utensil only covers a partial part of the upper surface area of the burner. As a result that portion of the burner not covered by the bottom of the pan rises upwardly in the air around the pan, a substantial amount of which is thus wasted.
It is sufficient to state at this juncture that the overall conceptualization of the subject invention involves a device that can be placed on top of a stove burner to surround a cooking utensil for purposes of saving heat loss from the burner unit and directing a larger amount of the burner heat towards the cooking utensil. An auxiliary function of the device can be to help prevent cooking utensils from being inadvertently moved off the burner unit.
In view of the foregoing, the subject invention is conceived and the following object of the subject invention are directed accordingly.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved device for conserving heat from a stove during cooking processes;
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved structure that improves safety in the usage of a stove when cooking food;
Another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved heat savings device to be used when cooking on a stove;
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved heat savings device to be used when cooking on a stove;
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide a supplemental heat transfer member for energy conservation purposes for use in cooking on a stove;
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved safety apparatus for cooking stoves;
A further object of the subject invention is to provide an improved device that provides optimal energy conservation and safety features for a cooking utensil on a stove surface;
Another object of the subject invention is to provide a device that will improve the efficiency of the cooking process on stoves;
Other and further objects of the subject invention will become apparent from a reading of the description taken in conjunction with the claims.